THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HOSPITALS CONFIRMS A SECOND LISTERIA DEATH; AN 81-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO DIED IN A SHREVEPORT HOSPITAL. DHH HAS DETERMINED THE LISTERIA SHE HAD IS THE SAME STRAIN THAT WAS FOUND IN RECALLED CANTALOUPES PRODUCED BY JENSEN FARMS IN COLORADO.

THE ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL IS EXPECTED TO VOTE NEXT MONTH TO ADOPT NEW BOUNDARIES FOR THE CITY'S FIVE COUNCIL DISTRICTS. JONATHAN GOINS, CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, REQUESTED THAT AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NEW BOUNDARIES BE INTRODUCED NOV. 15 WITH THE FINAL ADOPTION COMING TWO WEEKS LATER AND AFTER PUBLIC HEARINGS. COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN REVIEWING DATA AND HAVE MET WITH OFFICIALS OF THE RAPIDES AREA PLANNING COMMISSION TO DISCUSS CHANGES IN THE DISTRICTS. THE COUNCIL MUST REDRAW DISTRICTS ONCE A DECADE AFTER THE RELEASE OF UPDATED U.S. CENSUS BUREAU INFORMATION. THE FINAL BOUNDARIES, WHICH MUST BE APPROVED LOCALLY BEFORE BEING SENT TO THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FOR REVIEW, MUST BE IN PLACE BY AUG. 8 OF NEXT YEAR.

A BUNKIE MAN DIED SATURDAY MORNING IN A SINGLE-VEHICLE CRASH ON LA. HIGHWAY 1176. STATE POLICE SAY 32-YEAR-OLD THOMAS MCNABB’S PICKUP LEFT THE ROADWAY IN A CURVE AND HIT A TREE, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO OVERTURN. HE WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT AND WAS PARTIALLY EJECTED. MCNABB WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.

EARLY VOTING FOR THE OCT. 22 ELECTIONS BEGAN OVER THE WEEKEND AND CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY. EARLY VOTING TAKES PLACE IN PARISH REGISTRARS OF VOTERS' OFFICES FROM 8:30 A.M. TO 6 P.M. EACH VOTER SHOULD BRING A PHOTO ID, SUCH AS A DRIVER'S LICENSE, OR BRING A SIGNATURE ON A VOTER AFFIDAVIT.

AUTHORITIES IN DESOTO PARISH SAY, A TODDLER WAS KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT SATURDAY NIGHT. THE CHILD RAN TO THE OPEN DOOR OF HIS GRANDMOTHER'S MOVING CAR FOR ONE LAST KISS BEFORE SHE LEFT, BUT FELL AND WAS KILLED WHEN SHE PANICKED AND HIT THE GAS INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE. THE 2-YEAR-OLD FROM STONEWALL WAS FLOWN TO LSU HOSPITAL IN SHREVEPORT, WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD.

STATE TREASURER JOHN KENNEDY SHARES HIS VISION FOR LOUISIANA'S FUTURE BY PUBLISHING HIS FIVE LOUISIANA GOALS FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. KENNEDY PUSHES THE IDEA OF CREATING A NEW NORTH-SOUTH TRADE CORRIDOR BY COMPLETING ALL OF I-49. HE ALSO SAYS WE NEED TO CUT WASTEFUL SPENDING IN HE STATE BUDGET AND USE THE MONEY SAVED TO RAISE TEACHER PAY AS A PART OF OVERALL EDUCATION REFORM. AMONG HIS GOALS FOR LOUISIANA KENNEDY SAYS WE NEED REDUCE POVERTY BY LOWERING THE RATE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK. PROJECTIONS SHOW THAT NEARLY HALF OF ALL CHILDREN BORN IN LOUISIANA WILL BE BORN WITHOUT MARRIED PARENTS. KENNEDY SAYS THE FIRST STEP IN FINDING ANSWERS IS ENDING THE SILENCE.

STATE, LOCAL AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS WILL BE IN MONROE TODAY, TO CUT THE RIBBON ON A BRAND NEW TERMINAL AT THE MONROE REGIONAL AIRPORT. THE NEW TERMINAL HAS MANY FEATURES THE OLD ONE LACKED, LIKE A NEWSTAND, GIFT SHOP COCKTAIL LOUNGE AND MORE. AIRPORT DIRECTOR CLEVE NORRELL SAYS HE'S WAITED 25 YEARS FOR THIS DAY. THE NEW , 59-THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT TERMINAL WAS BUILT AT A COST OF $35-MILLION. NORRELL SAYS THE AIRPORT'S OLD TERMINAL HAD BECOME CRAMPED EVER SINCE THE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION ESTABLISHED POST-9/11 SCREENING CHECKPOINTS.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS FROM ACROSS THE STATE WILL GATHER LATER THIS MONTH IN ALEXANDRIA TO DISCUSS WAYS TO IMPROVE EDUCATION. THE LOUISIANA EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION WILL HOLD ITS 45TH ANNUAL STATE CONFERENCE FROM OCT. 20-22 AT THE SAI CONVENTION CENTER. THE CONFERENCE'S THEME IS "CREATING BRIGHT FUTURES FOR LOUISIANA'S CHILDREN." AT THE CONFERENCE, EARLY CHILDHOOD PRACTITIONERS WILL CONDUCT HOURLY SESSIONS ON A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS PERTAINING TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. THERE ARE 49 TOTAL SESSIONS SCHEDULED

THE STATE WILDLIFE & FISHERIES DEPARTMENT SAYS THE 2011-2012 OYSTER SEASON WILL BE DELAYED. MIKE VOISIN (VWAH-ZAN) IS ON THE LOUISIANA OYSTER TASK FORCE. HE SAYS MORE TIME IS NEEDED TO COLLECT TESTING SAMPLES, AS PART OF THE NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FOLLOWING THE 2010 BP OIL SPILL. LDWF SECRETARY BOB BARHAM SAYS THE OPENING OF THE OYSTER SEASON COULD BE DELAYED UNTIL OCTOBER 31ST; RATHER THAN THE SCHEDULED OCTOBER 17TH OPEN. VOISIN EXPECTS OYSTER VOLUME TO BE ABOUT 65% OF WHAT IT USUALLY IS DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF THE OIL SPILL.

MODERN DAY CATTLE RUSTLING.. WELL SORT OF.. AUTHORITIES SAY A 55-YEAR-OLD NATCHITOCHES MAN IS ACCUSED OF SELLING A CALF BORN TO A STRAY COW THAT WANDERED INTO HIS PASTURE, AND HAS BEEN BOOKED WITH LIVESTOCK THEFT.
COMMISSIONER MIKE STRAIN SAYS THE STRAY'S OWNER HAD TOLD JAMES KELLY THAT HIS PREGNANT COW WAS IN KELLY'S PASTURE, AND ASKED PERMISSION TO COME GET HER. ACCORDING TO STRAIN, KELLY PROMISED TO RETURN THE STRAY WHEN HE PENNED HIS HERD, BUT RETURNED THE COW IN SEPTEMBER WITHOUT HER CALF. STRAIN SAYS THE CALF ALLEGEDLY WAS SOLD IN AUGUST.

SPORTS..

THE NUMBER ONE RANKED LSU FOOTBALL TEAM FINISHED OFF THE FIRST HALF OF THE REGULAR SEASON WITH AN IMPRESSIVE 41-11 TO VICTORY OVER 17TH RANKED FLORIDA. THE TIGERS ARE NOW 6-AND-0, WINNING ALL SIX GAMES BY DOUBLE DIGITS. LSU VISITS TENNESSEE THIS SATURDAY.

QUARTERBACK DREW BREES LED THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS ON A LATE 4TH QUARTER DRIVE TO GIVE THE SAINTS A COME FROM BEHIND 30-27 VICTORY OVER THE CAROLINA PANTHERS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. BREES TOUCHDOWN PASS TO PIERRE THOMAS WITH 57 SECOND LEFT WAS THE WINNING SCORE. THE SAINTS HAD A 23-13 LEAD IN THE 3RD QUARTER BUT THE MOMENTUM CHANGED WHEN THE SAINTS WERE PENALIZED ON A QUESTIONABLE CALL FOR ROUGHING THE PASSER.